Hello everybody,

Here is finally another chapter! I'm sorry I'm just really slow!

I hope you enjoy it and don't forget to review ;-)

Chapter 10

It's not morning yet but Sherlock is awake. He is currently focusing on a fascinating subject: how the heartbeats of two individuals tend to synchronize after they spend a prolonged period of time close to each other.

For the first time Molly has agreed to stay with him for the night. She will have to leave at dawn, but for the moment his Cinderella is sleeping peacefully next to him. She's wearing one the T-Shirts he uses for physiotherapy. His designer clothes being one of the many things he had to give up from his former life.

He didn't see her naked, she went to change in the bathroom. Molly keeps saying that it is better to go step by step, that she doesn't want to rush him. But the idea of getting into a physical relationship is making its way into his mind. It's more about curiosity than actual sexual desire. He is curious to know if the once shy and mousy Molly Hooper will surprise him in that area as well. Curious to see if after months of suffering he can actually experience a bit of pleasure. But he's also nervous that his body won't react the expected way. Or that unpleasant memories come back to haunt him. Mycroft was right, sex does alarm him.

He tried to delete any memory of Carter and what it did to him as a child, but it turned out to be slightly more complicated than the solar system. So he built his mind palace and placed those thoughts in a very remote room, one he hardly ever visits. It doesn't prevent the nightmares and there had been a couple of times when John had asked if there was anything he wanted to talk about. He didn't have the courage to tell the truth to his friend, but now he had given Molly the key to this secret room in his mind. And he felt surprisingly relieved. There was something about the look in her eyes which had an almost healing power over him.

He had buried any hope of a relationship years ago. Not that he ever really desired one in the first place. His body was just transport, his brain was the only thing that counted. And his heart… well it was a pretty established fact that he didn't have one. But now it seemed that his whole word had been turned upside down. Sometimes he even wonders if he didn't actually die on that day and came back to life as another person. His transport has been seriously damaged, and it matters to him much more than he pretends. His brain is still there, but it is useless in the absence of any interesting work. And his heart is beating along with Molly Hooper's one.

Molly is nothing like Amanda, his only high school conquest, or Victor and even less Irene. She's pure and sometimes too naïve for her own good. She is also damaged, just like him. But she still has the capacity to hope that better days will come. She could have run away now that he isn't the prince charming who used to dash into her lab anymore. Instead of that, she remained with him through every ordeal. Molly's adoration is the only thing left of his glory days. All this years, she had been close to him and he had been blind. Now he knows that she is his only chance of happiness. The problem is that he doesn't know how to tell her. John would know. John knew everything about women.

^/^

Sherlock thoughts were interrupted when Molly started to wake up. The first ray of lights were peering through the curtains.

"What time is it?", she asked with a sleepy voice.

"6:30"

"I have to go…"

"It's fine. Clancy won't be there before another forty five minutes."

Miss Clancy was the head nurse of department. She was also a military officer and paid a special attention to the respect of rules and procedures. Sherlock seemed to be taking great delight in driving her mad. But if she found out that Molly had spent the night in his bed, she would immediately write a report to her superiors, which meant Mycroft.

"Are you sure?", she inquired.

"Certain, her schedule is as regular as clockwork."

Molly relaxed and smile.

"I like to wake up next you" she whispered and placed a kiss on his cheek.

"Isn't it great? Waking up in a hospital room?"

Molly's smile faded a little bit. "It won't always be like that. You have only two more weeks left here, it will come quickly."

"And then I will go to another facility for who knows how many months…"

"A rehabilitation centre, it will be different. You will be doing sports and plenty of activities."

"Like what? Pottery?", he snorted.

"I don't know! I just think it will be good for you to see other places and faces."

"What about afterwards? Will I just hide in a rat hole until we get a hand on Moriarty's network?"

This time Molly hesitated before answering. The future was for sure uncertain, even for her. Mycroft had hired her in order to help Sherlock through his recovery. What would happen after it?

"Well… maybe you brother will come back from his trip with some good news?"

Sherlock remained silent, and Molly noticed that his eyes were a bit lost. It had been almost three weeks since Mycroft had left to South America, following Moran's track. But so far he had sent them nothing concerning the progress of his investigations.

"Whatever happens, you know I'll stay with you", she added.

He looked back at her, his gaze now as piercing as ever.

"What are you staring at?"

"This T-Shirt you're wearing, it's absolutely hideous."

"It's yours!"

"This is not an excuse Miss Hooper", he said seductively.

"Do you want me… to take it off?"

"I think it is necessary."

Molly grinned. If he was ready for more, she was more than willing to play along. She sat up, straddled him and slowly pulled the shirt off over her head, leaving Sherlock speechless. The room was still half dark but he could see the lines of her almost naked body. Her long hair was falling graciously over her shoulders. He noted that her pupils were dilated and her breathing was accelerating.

"I…", he started hesitantly. "I take off anything I previously said concerning your breasts. They are… perfectly proportioned."

"Thank you", she said with a giggle. She could feel his eyes on her, cataloging every curve of her body, but he didn't dare to make a move.

"You can touch if you want", she suggested.

"Show me", he whispered.

She gently took his hand and placed against her left breast. She let him experiment the sensation then guided his fingers over her nipple. He quickly understood it was a sensitive spot.

"I let you continue on your own. You're doing very good".

She bent down to kiss him, letting out a moan in his mouth. She wished the moment had last forever, but they were suddenly interrupted by the sound of a knock at the door. Without even waiting for answer, the visitor entered the room. Molly immediately grabbed the sheet to cover herself and was already ready to mutter an explanation to Miss Clancy. But she became livid when she realised it wasn't the nurse.

Mycroft Holmes was standing at the door.